1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gripper apparatus and, more particularly, to gripper pads secured to a user's hand to protect the hand and to allow the hand to maintain a firm, non-slip grip on an element held by the hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of athletic or recreational events require a user to maintain a relatively tight grip on a generally cylindrical object, such as a weightlifting bar, a barbell, a water ski tow rope, etc. In the prior art, users either use nothing, or else they use gloves, wrist straps, or the like.
Gloves are relatively simple to use. The gloves generally cover the entire hand, including the fingers. In some cases, fingers are cut out of the glove, but the gloves typically cover the entire palm area, usually a portion of the fingers, and the back of the hand. Gloves become uncomfortable after a period of use, and eventually the gloves wrinkle, particularly in the palm area, due to sweat. The wrinkling usually results in callouses on the hand, or else direct irritation, and actually a loss of gripping power.
Wrist straps, on the other hand, are relatively cumbersome to put on and to take off. Moreover, they are also subject to some of the same deficiencies that gloves have.
The alternative is to use nothing. That is, a person would simply use the bare hand. The hand sweats and such sweating decreases the frictional engagement between the hand and whatever object is being held in the hand. This leads to slippage, and the like. Moreover, going barehanded results in callouses over a period of time. Such callouses are generally unsightly and are relatively undesirable in many cases, such as for office workers, physicians, dentists, and the like.
The apparatus of the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
Various types of gloves or glove-type elements have been used in the prior art in various types of athletic activities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 368,724 (Loucks) discloses an early ballplayer's glove which simply includes a generally rectangular leather pad covering the palm area of a user's hand. There is a plurality of loops for the fingers aligned along one edge of the generally rectangular palm covering pad, and there is a loop at one side of the pad through which the thumb extends.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,066,696 (Baker) discloses a relatively large pad that covers the hand and which extends well beyond the hand sideways and frontwards. The pad, or paddle, as it actually is, includes loops for fingers and a thumb support. The apparatus is referred to as a paddle for swimmers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,093,276 (Laser) discloses another type of swimming apparatus which is referred to as a glove. It includes a relatively large, generally rectangular pad with four finger pockets and a thumb pocket. The apparatus also includes a wrist strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,278 (Auster) discloses hand protector apparatus for golfers. The apparatus includes a generally rectangular strip that covers a portion of the user's palm, plus loops for the index finger and for the little fingerto hold the apparatus onto the hand. Another embodiment includes only a relatively small, generally rectangular, strip with a single loop through which the little finger extends. The apparatus is designed to cover only a portion of the palm of the hand. The portion of the palm covered is aligned with the little finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,388 (Griffin) discloses a glove apparatus which covers the entire hand and which includes four loops for the four fingers. The apparatus also includes an aperture through which the thumb extends. Two straps are used to secure the apparatus to the hand, one which passes over the wrist area and one which passes over the knuckle area of the hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,628 (Dell) discloses another type of semiglove for teaching ball control, designed primarily for basketball players. The apparatus covers the front portion of the palm of the hand and the corresponding back portion of the hand. The apparatus includes apertures through which the four fingers extend. It also includes a disc in the palm of the hand to help teach a basketball player to use the fingers for ball control, follow-through, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,312 (Nickels) discloses a basketball training glove which covers the palm and back of the hand. The fingers extend outwardly from the apparatus, as does the thumb. The apparatus also includes an enlarged elastic member at the outer portion of the palm of the hand, adjacent to where the base of the fingers are. The purpose of the apparatus is to train a basketball player to use the tips of the fingers for controlling the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,648 (Beal) discloses a protective device designed for baseball players. The apparatus covers a portion of the index finger and the area of the palm of the hand at the base of the middle and third fingers. The apparatus is designed to be used with a conventional glove to provide additional protection to a particular area of portion of the hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,498 (Pang) discloses a palm guard for protecting a portion of a palm of a user's hand. The apparatus covers a specific portion of the palm of a hand, generally the center portion of the palm of the hand. The apparatus includes straps that are disposed about the back of the hand, between the third and little fingers, and around the base of the thumb.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,412 (Meeko) discloses a weightlifting grip that includes a cradle which fits into the palm of the hand and which the fingers of a user extend over. The cradle is secured to a user's hand by means of a wrist strap. The cradle receives a bar, and the user's fingers are disposed about the cradle and thus about the bar.